Whether consciousness-cutting montages or commentary on media are important to you (or not), 1994’s Natural Born Killers is a film which colours how you see all other films, especially those with echoes of it.

Much like 1994’s Natural Born Killers, albeit with much less explicitness, director/screenwriter Taika Waititi’s 2016 feature film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople carries echoes of how media coverage may show an event’s superficial parts alone, whilst losing the personal side of things (à la Ricky and Hec’s escape to the woods being depicted as a dash for freedom but without discussion of Hec’s case).

Also, that government procedure may be dehumanising or objectifying for some, especially people passed between different departments (akin to how Rachel alludes to a ‘no returns‘ policy to Bella, Ricky’s ‘they just keep moving us around until something happens’ talk with Hec, and Paula’s capture of Ricky with the words, ‘I’ve got the package!‘).

Sticking with the Stone-isms vis-à-vis 2016’s Snowden, that the scale of government surveillance is wide (shown by how far away from society Bushman/Psycho Sam has to live, Paula’s allusion to the Five Eyes surveillance programme in, ‘that’s some Five-Eye shit right there!’ and Hec’s alarm at Bushman/Psycho Sam’s repair of Ricky’s phone, ‘you idiot, what’ve you done?‘)

Separately, the film also asks what it means to be a man or versions thereof (as seen in Ricky’s quest for gangsterdom, the hunters’ bullying of and sycophancy towards each other, and Hec’s actions through it all)?

That being said, and whilst Hec couldn’t have spoken to the press anyways in 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, the film does convey how an intensely personal escape is shown only an event which makes its subjects famous. Kahu’s conversation with Ricky over that was important.

The objectification of people goes further than either Paula or Ricky’s words, it also includes Hec’s remarks whether Ricky had ‘ever worked on a farm before or (are) you just ornamental?’

Hec does change enough to tell Ricky, ‘you’ll be better off without me, mate’ by the film’s epilogue though the film’s objectification connotations are already made.

The film’s allusions to government surveillance are important, with Paula’s allusion to the Five-Eyes intelligence group (‘that’s some Five-Eye shit right there!’) and Hec’s aversion to Bushman/Psycho Sam modifying Ricky’s phone. The most visible example of this is Bushman/Psycho Sam’s life away from society and its benefits, à la the dusty biscuit scene with Ricky and Hec.

The film’s final question, as shown by Ricky’s aspirations to gangsterdom but fear of blood, the hunters’ inconsistency in facing Hec and Hec’s actions through the film.

The subjective answer, as given by Ricky to Paula in the forest, would be that, ‘you don’t trade family for anything!’.

In that vein, the answer is that men defend those who need them and don’t betray each other. This contrasts with the hunters’ inconsistency between facing down Hec and Ricky, backing down and tracking them for the government’s reward.

Director/screenwriter Taika Waititi at the New Zealand premiere of 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Zimbio.com Photo and Caption)

The above being said, director/screenwriter Taika Waititi’s 2016 feature film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, is subtly surveillance-conscious but still entertaining when seen again.

Quite the millennial coming-of-age comedy.

Director/screenwriter Taika Waititi at the New Zealand premiere of 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Fiona Goodall/GettyImages.com Photo and Caption)

Director Taika Waititi’s Trademarks in 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople:

Stories about companionship: the growing relationship between Hec and Ricky keeps them going despite government opposition.

Time-lapse photography: Ricky’s first escape into the mountains is filmed in time-lapse whilst two government pursuit montages link events together via a continuous rotating camera pan.

Symmetrical photography: Continuing the trend from 2007’s Eagle vs Shark until present, solitary characters are framed in the frame’s middle.

Appearance by the director: Director/screenwriter Taika Waititi cameos as a religious minister in 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

(Whilst the opinions and observations cited above are, unless stated otherwise, the author’s own, the following sources were used for information: DenOfGeek.com, FanboyNation.com, IMDb.com)

The Reverse-Screenwriters’ Club (Spoilers Ensue):

Plot: a young boy and a recently-widowed man escape government forces in the New Zealand forest.

Act 1: Ricky decides to meet Bella at the farm; Ricky decides to stay with Bella and Hec.

Act 2: Ricky decides to have dinner with Bella and Hec; Ricky decides to go to bed.

Act 3: Ricky decides to escape the house at night; Ricky decides to return to the house with Bella in the morning.

Act 4: Ricky and Bella decide to go hunting; Ricky decides to pass out rather than help Bella with the pig.

Act 5: Ricky decides to celebrate his birthday with Bella and Hec; Ricky decides to accept his present, the dog Tupac.

Act 6: Ricky decides to follow Tupac back to the cottage; Ricky decides to observe Hec mourning Bella at the house.